Seat locator



Dec. 11', 1945. I H. L. PUTT 2,390,665

SEAT 'LOCATOR Filed Sept. 4, 1945 INVENTOR. HAROLD L.-Pu tZ Y .c-/%MMW ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 1-1, 1945 Harold L. Putt, Long Beach, Calif.

Application September 4,1943, Serial No. 501,239

1 Claim. (Cl.

This invention relates to seat locating means and more particularly to means of locating vacant seats in a theater or a similar place, and is an improvement over my prior application, Serial 'No. 455,030, filed August 17, 1942.

An object of the invention is to provide a, simple, practical and inexpensive seat locating means of the character described.

Another object is to provide a novel means for locating a vacant seat or seats in a row of theater chairs or the like.

An additional object is to provide the seat locating means, as aforesaid, which is automatic.

in its operation.

A further object is to provide visual means for locating a vacant seat or seats in a row of theater chairs, which means is only visible to persons passing down the aisle.

Other objects and advantages will appear and be brought out'more fully in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is an elevation view of the aisle seat of a row of chairs showing my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the cabinet shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is the electrical wiring diagram of the circuit.

Referring more particularly to the drawing I show a chair i5, which may be considered the aisle chair of a row of chairs as in a theater or auditorium, the chairs being numbered consecutively 1, 2, 3 and so on, which numbers indicate the chair numbers as counted from the aisle chair i5 which would be number 1. The chairs are each provided with a seat portion which may be pivoted or have provided therewithin a member H, which is movable orpivoted as at l8 and provided with a pair of electrical contacts 59 and 2B. A post 2! is suitably positioned .with relation to member I1 and provided with a spring 22 and a fixed contact 23 so arranged that when the seat is unoccupied spring 22 pushes member ll upwardly interconnecting contacts i9, 20 and 23 and causing a reverse movement when the seat is occupied, causing a disconnection between contact 23 and contacts l9 and 20.

A cabinet 24 is secured as by plate member 25 to side portion 26 of chair l5. Cabinet 24 is provided with a cover 24a. slidably secured at 21 to plate 25. Cabinet 24 is provided with a plurality of paced transverse baille plates 28. and

between pairs of plates 28 is a cross wall member V 29, each having an electrical socket 311 secured thereto, each socket being provided with a lamp 3|.

. Cover 24a is formed with a beveled end wall portion 32 having formed therein a plurality of lens tubes 22 which extend inwardly so as to be positioned between pairs of baflle plates 28. Each tube 33 is provided with a transparent or translucent lens 34 which is suitably provided with numerical indicia 35, which indicia comprises the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. corresponding to the seats in the row of seats, of which seat I5 is the aisle seat as aforesaid.

Fig. 4 shows the electrical circuit wherein a transformer 36 is connected by a wire 31 to all of the contacts 20 of seat members I! in the row of seats, and connected by a wire 38 to one side of all of the lamps 3|. Each lamp 3| is connected by a wire 39 to a contact IQ of one of theseats. Transformer 36 is provided with a pair of wires 40 suitably connected to a source of power.

The operation of the invention should be clear from the foregoing description. When the seats are occupied, contacts l9 and 20 are separated from contact 23, breaking the electrical circuit to the numbered lamps corresponding to said seats,

inner end thereof, there being a baifie and when any one or more of the seats are unoccupied the lamp circuit corresponding to such seats will be closed and the numbered indicia 35 will be visible from in front of lens tubes 33. Cabinet 24 is preferably positioned at the angle as shown in Fig. 1 so that the axis of each lens tube 33 is substantially along the line of sight of persons passing down the aisle, and thus the illuminated seat indicia is visible only to such persons, and the light will not be visible to persons occupying seats, which would otherwise be distracting.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

Seat locating means as described comprising a cabinet positioned adjacent the endmostof a row of chairs, said chairs each having a resilient seat, said cabinet having directional visual indicating means designating each of said chairs, operative when one of said chairs is unoccupied, said means including an angular disposed end wall of said cabinet a lamp and a lens tube for each of said chairs, each said lens tube extendin inwardly from said angularly disposed end wall into said cabinet, and an indicia bearing lens positioned in each said lens tube adjacent the plate in said cabinet between each pair of said lamps and said lens tubes.

HAROLD L. PU'I'I. 

